Method of applying electrical connectors



Jan. 17, 1956 J. c. MACY 2,730,718

METHOD OF APPLYING ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS Filed June 16, 1951 INVENTORJames 6'. Mac

BY 7 W m ATTOR a s United States Patent O METHOD or APPLYING ELECTRICALCONNECTORS" James-C. Macy, Westfield, N; J.-,'assigaor to Aircraft-Marine Products, Inc, Harrisburg, Pa, a corporation of New JerseyApplication June 16, 1951, Serial No. 231,983

2 Claims. (Cl. 1-68) This invention relates to a. method ofapplyingelectrical connectors or terminals to wires, more particularlconnectors' initiallyin the form-of continuous strips of connectorblanks, by severing the latter one by one from such strips, andpressure-crimping them onto a conductor. Such amethod can convenientlybe practiced, at least in part, in connection with the operation ofsuitable automatic or semi-automatic connector applying. machines whichrepeatedly index a stripof connectors into position;

sever the end connector blank from its strip, and pressurecrimp the endconnector blank onto a wire or'other electrically conductive element.This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending applicationSerial No. 679,630, filed June27, 1946, now U. S. Patent No. 2,557,126,issued June 19, 1951, to which reference is made for further disclosureof a particular connector and its use.

The patent to Vernon E. Carlson, No. 2,396,913, is sued March 16, 1946,discloses and claims a connectorapplying machine of the type referred toabove. many different types of similar power driven machines have beenmade and brought into commercial use under this patent, to apply a widevariety'of. electrical connectors. Such connectors include. so-calledend connectors, butt connectors and parallel'connectors? in which aplurality of conductors extend into and are crimped in a-ferrule portionof-the connector, and also those terminals such as are used topermanently engage a wire or other conducting element by means of aferrule portion and to provide a second connecting means such as a ringtongue, spade tongue, pin-contact, spring clip, etc. adapted to'befastcned-to-bindingposts, screws, receptacles, etc.-

Although this invention can be practicedin connection with strips ofconnector of the closed ferrule type, as shown in said- Patent No.2,396,913, as well as with those having open ferrules, the typehereshown for purposes of illustration, is that wherein the ferrule portionis of channel shape.

Prior to the present invention joining pieces or knockout slugs,segmentsof the metal strip stock, were usually left as spacers betweensuccessive connector-portions in the strip, e. g., as is shown in-saidCarlson patent. This structure had the advantage-that a punchor shearblade driven with the crimpingclie would punch out the slug while thestrip andthe end connector'which was to be severed therefrom remains ona straight line. Thus both the crimping of this connector to a wire andits severance from. the strip were accomplishedin one-position byasingle stroke of the machine. This construction and use of stripconnectors is successful in many applications, but the metal of theknock out slugs is a waste and these slugs, after being punched from thestrip in the connector-applying machine, become a nuisance and possiblya source of trouble by jamming in the machine.

In order to eliminate production of a scrap material at the site of thecrimping operation, the connector Also 7 2,730,718 BatentedtJan- L7,5,195.6

z blanks are integrally connectedtedge-toI-edge in the'strip; and thepresent invention makes it feasible to sever com nectors from such stripand:sevei'rthemiindividually'by the same operation of the machineas thatwhich'crimps the connector'on the wire; This haszproveniinvaluabler inmany uses of strips of connectors;

Problems presented by the-need to utilize suclrstrips: were numerous,but among the moreasignificantprob= lems were the severance of theconnector at thezend: of the'strip, the locating andretaining'ofsaidfconnector in the proper'position to receive'a'wire'andiobe'crimpedz thereon, and theneed-for asimple methodofsevering'z said connector from the strip. without interferingwith suchretaining of the connector-insuch;positiom,

This invention has as its objects thesolution of these, broad problems;and, as'iwill be seen, does present a most: advantageous solution whichpermits the use of simplified apparatus for thesevering;and-crimpingoperations.

Briefly, the invention contemplates feedingthe strip toward severing andcrimping diesto bring the 'lead'connector thereof into position?betweenthe crimpingdies, one of which is located eta-level off-setfromthat of the; cutting edge of one of thesevering dies,,shearing thecontact portion of one connector from theferrule'portion of the next anddisplacing; the severedend con= nector from the line of itsinitialadvance" into posi-' tion between the crimping dies, Inthis operationthecrimping dies engage the: ferrule. portion of the con-- nector and crimpthe same while oneofithesevering dies' severs and thenmoves the contactportion toward said displaced or-off-set position. This obviates theneed for additional knockout tabs ormore complicatedblanks Otherobjects-will'in part be pointed out and'will in part becomeapparentfronrthe followingspecification and claimstaken in conjunctionwith-'the -accompanying' rawings. Utilization of my inventioninproduction machines hasshown the great advantages whichcan accrue fromthe use of may-method; The disclosures of various embodiments shouldbe'taken,'not as exhaus tive, but, as indicative of. possibilities formodification and as suggestiveof how-one may'adapt the::invention invarious other embodiments and most-advantageously use" my method insolving specific problems as they arise.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is atop p1an:view-(enlarged) "of'a connected strip of terminalblanks;

Figure 2 is a side view of azfra'gment ofla strip'of connectors formedfrom such: blank with partial1y:- pre= I formed ferrule;

Figure 3 is-anend:viewof-the connectors-with par--' tially pre-formedferrule;

Figure r is a perspective viewof theterminalafterits" connection to aninsulated conductor hasrbeencompletedf Figure 5 is a perspective viewoffa set of dies :for-ap-r plying such a terminal to a conductor;

Figure 6 is a left-side -longitudinal=-sectional?view:of these diestaken at theline' 6'6:-in;Eigure SWithT iIlus-F- trative connectorsevering means associated-therewith;

Figure 7 'is a-view similar to Figure firwith theewirexin-j' sertedinto'the' end connector; the-dies brought together? and the endconnector blank. sheared off and carried;

to the level of:the-lower;dieibyrtheishearingmperatiomi' Figure 1 showsa series of connected-terminaltblanks'r 20 attached head to tail in theflat form in which they leave blanking dies used in forming them. Theblank 2? as shown comprises a connecting or contact portion 24 and aferrule base portion 26 from one side of which extend ears 28 and 30slightly tapering and longer than they are wide. A single similar car 34extends from the other side of the blank leaving ferrule edges 36 and 38on opposite sides thereof. The flat terminal blank 29 is deformed togive its ferrule portion 26 a U-shaped cross section, as shown inFigures 2 and 3, so that ears 28, 30 and 34 extend upwardly as viewed inFigures .2 and 3. Thus, the ferrules may be applied directly on barewire or over the insulation of an tin-stripped wire, Figure 4, providedwith insulation 42 and a multi-strand core 44. r

The U-shaped ferrule portion 26, Figures 2 and 3,

forms a receptacle for a wire such as is generally indicated at 40 inFigure 4. With wire 40 in position to be engaged by the ears 28, 30 and34 of ferrule por- I claim: a

1. The method of making an electrical connection which includesproviding a continuous strip of electrical connectors respectivelyhaving ferrule, portions with outside surfaces and inside surfacesadapted to embrace and be crimped onto conducting elements, said ferruleportions alternating with contact portions in the strip, the ferruleportion of each connector being attached, directly 7 to the contactportion of the next connector adjacent tion 26 (as shown in Figures. 2and 3), the assembly is ready to' be operated upon by the installationor crimp ing*dies 46 and 48 (see Fig. 5). Such dies may conveniently bemounted in a press or any othersuitable mechanism capable of forcing thedies together with sufficient pressure to attach the terminal to thewire. The upper die 46 in the arrangement shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 mayconveniently be made of three die plates 50, 52

and 54, each of which is channeled in such a manner as to provide arounded die face 80, 62 or 60. These die faces are adapted to curl theears 28, 30 and 34 to a radius smaller than that of the exterior of-thewire '40 and at the'same time to force them into the wire, as are ears28 and 34 in Figure 4, in such a manner that the ends of the earsintimately engage the wire (piercing the insulation thereon in the caseof the insulated wire), or. around the wire, as ear 30 in Figure 4; andare held with the remainder of the ferrule, tightly pressed against thewire. This process is more fully disclosed and claimed in myabove-mentioned copending application Serial No. 717,842; the diesthemselves are also more fully disclosed and claimed in my copendingapplication Serial'No. 10,021, filed February 21, 1948.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the composite thickness of die plates 50,52 and 54 is substantially equal to the length of die surface 84 inlower die 48; an extension 88 in the lower die acts as a nest to supportwire 40 (Fig.7) in front of die plate 54. r

v In Figures 6 and 7, representative means are shown for severing theend connector 20c from the strip which has been fed or advanced to bringthe lead connector thereof to a position between the dies at a leveloffset, in this case slightly above, the anvil surface 84 of the lowercrimping die 48. A shear blade or die 45 associated with the uppercrimping die 46 is disposed so as to present a shear edge 43 directlyabove or opposite the junction between the end connector 20c and the.next

to the end connector which rests on a support memher 47 presenting acutting or shearv edge 49 in operating relationship to that of the shearblade. As the upper crimping die 46 and shear blade 45 move downward theferrule portion 26, ears 28, 30 and 34 of the end connector are engagedby the die set 46, 48; and the shear blade 45 shears contact or tongue24 of the end connector 20e from the ferrule portion 26 of the nextconnector in the strip and displaces said end connector from its initialunsevered position toward the level of the lower crimping die 48 whilethe upper crimping die 46 is moving toward said lower crimping die 48.

Generally, my method, as seen from Figures 6 and 7-. permits the endconnector 202 to be properly located for crimping, sheared from thestrip and then retained bythe lower crimping die as the upper crimpingdie 46 is driven to the bottom of its stroke. Obviously the crimpingdies maybe reversed as to position, i. e., the upper die may be theanvil, the lower die having the ear-curling surfaces.

the centerline of the strip, feeding said strip toward the regionbetween opposed dies of a crimping die set so as a to bring a ferruleportion of a connector at the end of said strip between said dies whilethe outside surface 7 of the ferrule portion of the next connector inthe area immediately adjacent the junction with the contact portion ofthe end connector is supported on an anvil at one side of said dies at alevel offset above that of the corresponding die face of the crimpingdie set, inserting a conducting element between said crimping dies inposition to be embraced by said ferrule portion of the end connector,pressing both the ferrule portion and the contact portion of the endconnector below said anvil in a direction away from the inside surfaceof the ferrule portion of the next connector thereby severing the endconnector from said strip and smoothing the severed edge of the insidesurface of the ferrule portion of the next connector for embracinganother conducting element without cutting said other conductingelement, and crimping said ferrule portion of the end connector ontosaid conducting element by bringing together said crimping dies.

2. The method of making an electrical connection wherein a connectorhaving a ferrule portion and a contact portion is attached to anelectrical conductor, which includes the steps of providing a strip ofsaid connectors arranged with the contact portion of each directlycontiguous in said strip with the ferrule portion of an adjacentconnector, advancing said strip intermittently to bring the leadingconnector into position with its ferrule portion between and spaced fromco-operating crimping dies and with its contact portion in the path ofmovement of a shearing die whilerigidly supporting the outside of theferrule portion of the connector next behind the lead connector at aposition opposite the approach side of the shear edge of said shearingdie, shearing said contact portion of the lead connector from theferrule portion of said next-to-the-lead connector and applying pressureto displace said leadconnector to a position aligned in said crimpingdies and offset from its upsevered position and crimping said ferruleportion of the end connector onto a conductor by moving together saidcrimping dies.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS365,251 Gardner et al June 21, 1887 1,493,075 Hirschhorn May 6, 19241,717,276 Stubbers June 11, 1929 1,836,497 Phelps et al Dec. 15, 19312,366,287 Rabinowitz Jan. 2, 1945 2,385,836 Norkin et a1. Oct. 2, 19452,438,023 Sirp Mar. 16, 1948 2,494,137 Martines Jan. 10, 1950 2,515,105Weisberg July 11, 1950 2,557,126 Macy June .19, 1951 2,567,155 MacySept. 4, 1951

